Five Minutes or Less for Health Weekly Tip: Prevent Drownings

Recreational activities in a natural body of water can be a wonderful way to spend time with family and friends. Learning to swim is key. Take precautions. If you plan to swim, ride in a boat, canoe, or other water vehicle, take a minute to protect yourself and others from drowning.

Put on a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Make sure all passengers put on a life jacket, regardless of distance to be traveled, size of boat, or swimming ability of boaters.

Know the meaning of and obey warnings represented by colored beach flags. These may vary from one beach to another.

Watch for dangerous waves and signs of rip currents. Some examples are water that is discolored and choppy, foamy, or filled with debris and moving in a channel away from shore.

If you are caught in a rip current, swim parallel to shore. Once free of the current, swim diagonally toward shore.

Do not use air-filled or foam toys, such as water wings, noodles, or inner-tubes, in place of life jackets. These toys are not designed to keep swimmers safe.

Don’t drink. Alcohol is involved in about a third of all recreational and boating fatalities.